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Eagle Warriors
The Eagle Warriors are a fleet-based Second Founding Successor Chapter of the Ultramarines' Legion. Since the Eagle Warriors are a fleet-based Chapter with no permanent homeworld on which to build their fortress-monastery, they are continually on campaign to defend those star systems originally conquered by Roboute Guilliman during the Great Crusade. Within the Mythos Angelica Mortis, the great work concerning the Space Marines of the latter part of the 37th Millennium, the Eagle Warriors are listed as the immediate forebears of the Marines Errant, although why they were singled out for the honour of a 'named' founding (23rd Founding) being drawn from their ranks at this time remains lost to posterity. Chapter History The origins of the Eagle Warriors Chapter can be traced back to the Great Crusade over ten millennia earlier, when they were still a part of the Ultramarines Legion, then known as the XIIIth Legion, before their reunification with their Primarch Roboute Guilliman. Following their unification with their Primarch, Guilliman quickly set about restructuring his Legion's operational doctrine and hierarchy to suit his personal tastes and style of leadership. While the newly espoused doctrine of structured adaptability became deeply ingrained within many of the Legion's chapters, there were some notable deviations from this pattern. Some few individual chapters, through long held preference or some quirk of supply, maintained notable strengths of non-standard equipment or personnel. One of the more noteworthy examples of this, was the 20th Chapter, known within the Legion as the "Eagles", who had trained extensively for void combat. During the Calth conjunction they were assigned to security duties amongst the orbital platforms and docked warships in Calth's local orbit, and so, witnessed the full fires of betrayal committed by the Word Bearers Legion during the Battle of Calth. Following the end of the Horus Heresy, Roboute Guilliman was responsible for the restructuring of the Imperium's military forces. The vast Space Marine Legions would be broken down into numerous, smaller existing formations, known as a Chapter. When the Second Founding of the Space Marines was decreed seven years after the death of Horus and the end of his Heresy, most of the old Loyalist Legions divided into fewer than 5 Successor Chapters, but the Ultramarines were divided many times. The existing void veteran formations of the Ultramarines 20th Chapter became a part of the newly founded "Eagle Warriors" Chapter. Notable Campaigns *'Assault on Kyran's Pass (Unknown Date.M41)' - The Eagle Warriors assisted in the Assault on Kyran's Pass. *'Reconquest of the Zypher Sub-Sector (204-224.M41)' - For almost 300 years the Ork empire of WAAAGH! Arbutz ruled the Zypher Sub-sector and was left unmolested, until a campaign of re-conquest was finally begun in 204.M41. The re-conquest was led by troops of the Raven Guard, Marauders, Eagle Warriors and Revilers Space Marine Chapters, supported by over two-dozen Imperial Guard regiments. In a long, hard fought campaign, these troops battled to reclaim the planets lost to Warlord Arbuttz, until finally in 224.M41 the Zypher Sub-sector was declared free of the taint of alien infection. *'Ambush at Balur Secundus (919.M41)' - A strike force from the Eagle Warriors' 7th Company is ambushed during operations against Feral Orks in the central lowlands of the world of Balur's primary continent. The only survivor is Veteran Sergeant Nzahan, who is later entombed within the armoured sarcophagus of a rare Contemptor Pattern Dreadnought. *'The Defence of Hyth (994.M41)' - Space Marines of the Eagle Warriors Chapter answer a distress call from the city of Hyth, shortly before all communications are smothered by a splinter Hive Fleet. Though unable to reach the city itself to prepare a robust defence, they deploy on the plain before it, in the path of the ravening swarm, to unleash the full firepower of their Stormravens, Centurion Squads and Dreadnoughts. The Eagle Warriors' efforts hold back an incessant tide of Genestealers, and the Devastator Centurions eliminate the more severe threat of Haruspexes and Harpies before they are able to cause the devastation expected of them. After many weeks, victory is secured, preventing Hyth, and the planet, from succumbing to the Hive Fleet. *'Fall of Medusa V (999.M41)' - The Fall of Medusa V was a multi-sided military conflict fought on the Imperial Mining World of Medusa V in the Ultima Segmentum that was devoured by a Warp Storm in 999.M41. Luckily, the military forces of the Imperium of Man were able to evacuate the entire surviving civilian population of the planet before it was consumed. Before completing this evacuation, the world became the center of a large military conflict between eight of the Milky Way Galaxy's major powers for control of the world, each for its own reasons. The 4th Company of the Eagle Warriors earned particular renown during this campaign. *'Zeist Campaign (999.M41)' - The Zeist Campaign was a military conflict fought between the Imperium of Man and the Tau Empire, in the Zeist Sector of the Ultima Segmentum. Taking place in 999.M41, during the Tau Empire's Third Sphere Expansion, it ran concurrently with Abaddon the Despoiler's 13th Black Crusade and the assault on Imperial space by the Tyranid Hive Fleet Leviathan. As the Imperium's military was heavily involved with preventing the breakout of the Forces of Chaos from the Cadian Gate on the other side of Imperial space, the Tau took advantage of this distraction to rapidly expand their territory. With the victory of the Imperium, the Zeist Campaign marked the end of the Third Sphere Expansion, the Tau Empire having grown to 133% of its prior size. Chapter Master Marneus Calgar despatched Captain Cato Sicarius and the Ultramarines' famous 2nd Company to the Zeist Sector to draw a defensive line through which the Tau would not be able to pass. Calgar also sent requests to other nearby Space Marine Chapters for further assistance. the Tau expansion slowed and then stopped under the Imperial assaults. Eventually, only the world of Augura, in the Zeist Sector, remained in Tau hands, as their only remaining logistical and repair source in the area. Space Marines from the Night Watch, Halo Dragons, Silver Skulls, Sable Swords, Crimson Fists, Iron Lords, Aurora Chapter, and the Knights of the Raven, as well as many others, had all joined the Ultramarines in the attack on Augura. A score of Eagle Warriors Terminators participated in the assault on Augura, and despite the Tau's advanced weaponry and technology, they were unable to stand against the combined force of Astartes. Notable Eagle Warriors * Captain Nikon Pelahius - Long ago, in the 31st Millennium, Nikon Pelahius was the Captain of the 2nd Company of the newly formed Eagle Warriors Chapter. Lauded victor of the battle of Namolas, which had seen the Ultramarines Legion snatch victory from the jaws of defeat through a daring assault led by Captain Nikon. Whilst he survived, one hundred of his battle-brothers had perished, a bloody toll for which Pelahius never truly forgave himself. As an ostentatious sign of his grief, he underwent ritual scarring for each of slain Eagle Warriors, refusing to have his cell cleaned afterwards, the blood stains to be a permanent reminder of his failure. Respected by his men, Nikon Pelahius was neverless a warrior and was known throughout the Chapter as commander of the Aiaxis, his personnal Honour Guard. Like the rest of Second Company, Captain Nikon vanished under mysterious circumstances in 021.M31 while answering a planetary distress call from the planet Zucron in the Jericho Reach. * Apothecary Hilarion - Second Company’s Apothecary and member of the Aiaxis. * Brother Acacius - Member of the Aiaxis, Captain Nikon’s personal bodyguard. * Brother Ligeia - Second Company’s Standard Bearer and member of the Aiaxis. * Brother Galenos - Heavy weapon specialist of the Aiaxis, usually armed with a Heavy Bolter. * Sergeant Erastos - Leader of Squad Aiaxis, Captain Nikon’s personal bodyguard. Chapter Relics *''Pinions of Ascanius'' - The Pinions of Ascanius are custom Artificer-crafted pauldrons and vambraces that can be fitted onto a suit of Astartes Power Armour. Ascanius of the Eagle Warriors was seconded to the Deathwatch in the Jericho Reach in the mid-37th Millennium, where he developed a reputation for swordsmanship without peer. His armour, custom-fitted to his enormous frame, was the subject of numerous upgrades to enhance the grace and power of his strokes. Eventually, the Masters of the Forge themselves were at a loss to explain the modifications in full. After his death, they found they could not refit the full armour to accommodate another wearer, and were forced to dismantle it, taking care to preserve the pauldrons and vambraces that had encased his arms. They now can offer another Astartes who incorporates them into his own panopoly unprecedented dexterity in close combat. Chapter Fleet * Claw (Strike Cruiser, Unknown Class) - The Claw was the Strike Cruiser alloted to Second Company under Captain Nikon. The Claw was lost under unknown circumstances in the early 31st Millennium. Chapter Appearance Chapter Colours The Eagle Warriors wear a unique halved heraldry of blue (right) and white (left) coloured Power Armour. The white coloured squad specialty symbol on the right shoulder guard designate operational specialty -- Tactical, Devastator, Assault or Veteran. A black coloured Roman numeral is stenciled on the centre of the squad specialty symbol which indicates squad number. The colour of the left knee guard indicates company number in accordance with the dictates of the Codex Astartes -- White (1st Company), Yellow (2nd Company), Red (3rd Company), Green (4th Company), ect.. The right knee guard often bears honourifics, such as an Iron Halo marking or an Imperial Laurel. Chapter Badge The Chapter badge consists of a blue coloured eagle's wing, displayed and elevated, centred upon a field of white. Sources *''Adeptus Astartes: Successor Chapters'' (Limited Release Booklet) *''Codex: Space Marines'' (7th Edition) (Digital Edition), pg. 115 *''Codex: Space Marines'' (6th Edition), pg. 111 *''Codex: Space Marines'' (5th Edition), pp. 8, 24, 48 *''Codex: Space Marines'' (3rd Edition), pp. 22-23 *''Codex: Ultramarines'' (2nd Edition), pg. 9, 42 *''Deathwatch: Honour the Chapter'' (RPG), pg. 130 *''How to Paint Space Marines'' (2004) *''Imperial Armour Volume Two - Space Marines and Forces of the Inquisition'', pp. 96, 122 *''Imperial Armour Volume Two - War Machines of the Adeptus Astartes'' (Second Edition), pg. 22 *''Imperial Armour Volume Nine - The Badab War, Part One'', pg. 74 *''Index Astartes - Volume One'' (Digital Edition), "Index Astartes: Centurions," pg. 66 *''Insignium Astartes'' *''Sons of Wrath'' (Novella) by Andy Smillie *''The Fall of Medusa V'' (2006 booklet) *''The Horus Heresy - Book Five: Tempest'' by Alan Bligh, pp. 39, 80-81 *[http://www.games-workshop.com/MEDIA_CustomProductCatalog/m1320010_Swordwind_Part_3_-_Baran_War.pdf Swordwind, Part 3 - The Baran War] Gallery Eagle Warriors_Astartes.jpg|Eagle Warriors Assault Marine, 8th Assault Company, 3rd EW Land Speeder.jpg|An Eagle Warriors Land Speeder Category:E Category:Imperium Category:Space Marine Chapters Category:Space Marines Category:Ultramarines